Overhaul search with dedicated NIP-50 relays and hybrid results

Text search now queries relay.nostr.band and search.nos.today via a
persistent NDK instance, while also running hashtag lookups on user
relays. Results are merged and deduplicated. Hashtag searches now show
all three tabs (notes, articles, people) instead of notes-only. Added
loading spinner and clear-on-search for better UX.

src/components/search/SearchView.tsx

@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 import { useState, useRef, useEffect } from "react";
 import { NDKEvent } from "@nostr-dev-kit/ndk";
-import { getStoredRelayUrls, fetchFollowSuggestions, fetchProfile, advancedSearch, fetchTrendingHashtags } from "../../lib/nostr";
+import { fetchFollowSuggestions, fetchProfile, advancedSearch, fetchTrendingHashtags } from "../../lib/nostr";
 import { parseSearchQuery, describeSearch } from "../../lib/search";
-import { getNip50Relays } from "../../lib/nostr/relayInfo";
 import { useUserStore } from "../../stores/user";
 import { useMuteStore } from "../../stores/mute";
 import { useDismissedSuggestionsStore } from "../../stores/dismissedSuggestions";
@@ -132,7 +131,6 @@ export function SearchView() {
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
   const [searched, setSearched] = useState(false);
   const [activeTab, setActiveTab] = useState<"notes" | "people" | "articles">("notes");
-  const [nip50Relays, setNip50Relays] = useState<string[] | null>(null); // null = not checked yet
   const inputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
   const [suggestions, setSuggestions] = useState<Suggestion[]>([]);
   const [suggestionsLoading, setSuggestionsLoading] = useState(false);
@@ -142,14 +140,6 @@ export function SearchView() {
   const [trending, setTrending] = useState<{ tag: string; count: number }[]>([]);
   const [trendingLoading, setTrendingLoading] = useState(false);
   const [trendingLoaded, setTrendingLoaded] = useState(false);
-  const isHashtag = query.trim().startsWith("#") && !query.includes(":");
-
-  // Check relay NIP-50 support once on mount (background, non-blocking)
-  useEffect(() => {
-    const urls = getStoredRelayUrls();
-    getNip50Relays(urls).then(setNip50Relays);
-  }, []);
-
   // Load trending hashtags on mount
   useEffect(() => {
     if (trendingLoaded) return;
@@ -215,6 +205,9 @@ export function SearchView() {
     setLoading(true);
     setSearched(false);
     setSearchHint(null);
+    setNoteResults([]);
+    setArticleResults([]);
+    setUserResults([]);
     try {
       const parsed = parseSearchQuery(q);
       const isAdvanced = parsed.authors.length > 0 || parsed.unresolvedNip05.length > 0 ||
@@ -241,18 +234,7 @@ export function SearchView() {
     if (e.key === "Enter") handleSearch();
   };
 
-  // Switch query to hashtag format and re-run
-  const tryAsHashtag = () => {
-    const raw = query.trim().replace(/^#+/, "");
-    const hashQuery = `#${raw}`;
-    setQuery(hashQuery);
-    handleSearch(hashQuery);
-  };
-
   const totalResults = noteResults.length + userResults.length + articleResults.length;
-  const allRelays = getStoredRelayUrls();
-  const nip50Count = nip50Relays?.length ?? null;
-  const noNip50 = nip50Relays !== null && nip50Relays.length === 0;
 
   return (
     <div className="h-full flex flex-col">
@@ -279,8 +261,8 @@ export function SearchView() {
         </div>
       </header>
 
-      {/* Tabs — shown once a search has been run (except for hashtag, which is notes-only) */}
+      {/* Tabs — shown once a search has been run */}
-      {searched && !isHashtag && (
+      {searched && (
         <div className="border-b border-border flex shrink-0">
           {(["notes", "articles", "people"] as const).map((tab) => {
             const count = tab === "notes" ? noteResults.length : tab === "articles" ? articleResults.length : userResults.length;
@@ -311,6 +293,16 @@ export function SearchView() {
       {/* Results area */}
       <div className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto">
 
+        {/* Loading indicator */}
+        {loading && (
+          <div className="px-4 py-12 flex flex-col items-center gap-3">
+            <span className="w-5 h-5 border-2 border-accent border-t-transparent rounded-full animate-spin" />
+            <p className="text-text-dim text-[12px]">
+              Searching relays for <span className="text-text font-medium">{query}</span>
+            </p>
+          </div>
+        )}
+
         {/* Idle / pre-search hint */}
         {!searched && !loading && (
           <div className="px-4 py-6 space-y-4">
@@ -318,23 +310,19 @@ export function SearchView() {
               <p className="text-text-dim text-[12px]">
                 Type a keyword, <span className="text-accent">#hashtag</span>, or use search modifiers.
               </p>
-              {nip50Relays !== null && (
+              <p className="text-text-dim text-[11px] opacity-70">
-                <p className="text-text-dim text-[11px] opacity-70">
+                Full-text search uses dedicated search relays. Hashtag and keyword results are combined.
-                  {nip50Count === 0
+              </p>
-                    ? "None of your relays support full-text search — #hashtag search always works."
-                    : `${nip50Count} of ${allRelays.length} relay${allRelays.length !== 1 ? "s" : ""} support full-text search.`}
-                </p>
-              )}
             </div>
 
             {/* Search syntax help */}
             <div className="max-w-md mx-auto">
               <h3 className="text-text-dim text-[10px] uppercase tracking-widest mb-2">Search modifiers</h3>
               <div className="grid grid-cols-2 gap-x-4 gap-y-1 text-[11px]">
-                <span className="text-accent font-mono">by:name</span>
-                <span className="text-text-dim">notes from author</span>
                 <span className="text-accent font-mono">by:user@domain</span>
-                <span className="text-text-dim">NIP-05 author lookup</span>
+                <span className="text-text-dim">notes from NIP-05 author</span>
+                <span className="text-accent font-mono">by:npub1...</span>
+                <span className="text-text-dim">notes from pubkey</span>
                 <span className="text-accent font-mono">#bitcoin</span>
                 <span className="text-text-dim">hashtag search</span>
                 <span className="text-accent font-mono">has:image</span>
@@ -434,42 +422,15 @@ export function SearchView() {
           </div>
         )}
 
-        {/* Zero results for full-text search */}
+        {/* Zero results */}
-        {searched && totalResults === 0 && !isHashtag && (
+        {searched && totalResults === 0 && (
           <div className="px-4 py-8 text-center space-y-3">
             <p className="text-text-dim text-[12px]">
               No results for <span className="text-text font-medium">{query}</span>.
             </p>
-
+            <p className="text-text-dim text-[11px] opacity-70">
-            {/* Relay NIP-50 status */}
+              Try different keywords, a #hashtag, or check your relay connections.
-            {nip50Relays !== null && (
+            </p>
-              <p className="text-text-dim text-[11px]">
-                {noNip50
-                  ? "None of your relays support full-text search."
-                  : `${nip50Count} of ${allRelays.length} relay${allRelays.length !== 1 ? "s" : ""} support full-text search.`}
-              </p>
-            )}
-
-            {/* Hashtag suggestion */}
-            {!query.startsWith("#") && (
-              <div>
-                <p className="text-text-dim text-[11px] mb-2">Try a hashtag search instead:</p>
-                <button
-                  onClick={tryAsHashtag}
-                  className="px-3 py-1.5 text-[12px] border border-accent/50 text-accent hover:bg-accent hover:text-white transition-colors"
-                >
-                  Search #{query.replace(/^#+/, "")}
-                </button>
-              </div>
-            )}
-          </div>
-        )}
-
-        {/* Zero results for hashtag search */}
-        {searched && totalResults === 0 && isHashtag && (
-          <div className="px-4 py-8 text-center">
-            <p className="text-text-dim text-[12px]">No notes found for <span className="text-text">{query}</span>.</p>
-            <p className="text-text-dim text-[11px] mt-1 opacity-70">Try a different hashtag or check your relay connections.</p>
           </div>
         )}
 
@@ -477,9 +438,6 @@ export function SearchView() {
         {searched && activeTab === "people" && userResults.length === 0 && totalResults > 0 && (
           <div className="px-4 py-6 text-center">
             <p className="text-text-dim text-[12px]">No people found for <span className="text-text">{query}</span>.</p>
-            {noNip50 && (
-              <p className="text-text-dim text-[11px] mt-1 opacity-70">People search requires NIP-50 relay support.</p>
-            )}
           </div>
         )}
 
@@ -494,7 +452,7 @@ export function SearchView() {
         ))}
 
         {/* Notes results */}
-        {(activeTab === "notes" || isHashtag) && noteResults.map((event) => (
+        {activeTab === "notes" && noteResults.map((event) => (
           <NoteCard key={event.id} event={event} />
         ))}
       </div>

src/lib/nostr/search.ts

@@ -1,25 +1,74 @@
-import { NDKEvent, NDKFilter, NDKKind, NDKUser } from "@nostr-dev-kit/ndk";
+import NDK, { NDKEvent, NDKFilter, NDKKind, NDKSubscriptionCacheUsage, NDKUser } from "@nostr-dev-kit/ndk";
 import { type ParsedSearch, matchesHasFilter } from "../search";
-import { getNDK, fetchWithTimeout, FEED_TIMEOUT } from "./core";
+import { getNDK, fetchWithTimeout, withTimeout, FEED_TIMEOUT } from "./core";
+
+// Dedicated NIP-50 search relays — queried for full-text search regardless of user's relay list
+const SEARCH_RELAYS = [
+  "wss://relay.nostr.band",
+  "wss://search.nos.today",
+];
+
+// Persistent NDK instance dedicated to search relays — stays connected
+let searchNDK: NDK | null = null;
+let searchNDKConnecting: Promise<void> | null = null;
+
+async function getSearchNDK(): Promise<NDK> {
+  if (searchNDK) return searchNDK;
+  searchNDK = new NDK({ explicitRelayUrls: SEARCH_RELAYS });
+  searchNDKConnecting = searchNDK.connect().then(() => {
+    console.log("[Wrystr] Search relays connected");
+    searchNDKConnecting = null;
+  });
+  await withTimeout(searchNDKConnecting, 5000, undefined);
+  return searchNDK;
+}
+
+const EMPTY_SET = new Set<NDKEvent>();
+
+/** Fetch events from the dedicated search relays with timeout. */
+async function searchFetch(filter: NDKFilter, timeoutMs = FEED_TIMEOUT): Promise<Set<NDKEvent>> {
+  const ndk = await getSearchNDK();
+  const promise = ndk.fetchEvents(filter, {
+    cacheUsage: NDKSubscriptionCacheUsage.ONLY_RELAY,
+    groupable: false,
+  });
+  return withTimeout(promise, timeoutMs, EMPTY_SET);
+}
 
 export async function searchNotes(query: string, limit = 50): Promise<NDKEvent[]> {
   const instance = getNDK();
   const isHashtag = query.startsWith("#");
-  const filter: NDKFilter & { search?: string } = isHashtag
+
-    ? { kinds: [NDKKind.Text], "#t": [query.slice(1).toLowerCase()], limit }
+  if (isHashtag) {
-    : { kinds: [NDKKind.Text], search: query, limit };
+    const filter: NDKFilter = { kinds: [NDKKind.Text], "#t": [query.slice(1).toLowerCase()], limit };
-  const events = await fetchWithTimeout(instance, filter, FEED_TIMEOUT);
+    const events = await fetchWithTimeout(instance, filter, FEED_TIMEOUT);
-  return Array.from(events).sort((a, b) => (b.created_at ?? 0) - (a.created_at ?? 0));
+    return Array.from(events).sort((a, b) => (b.created_at ?? 0) - (a.created_at ?? 0));
+  }
+
+  // Hybrid: NIP-50 full-text on search relays + hashtag on user relays
+  const searchFilter: NDKFilter & { search?: string } = { kinds: [NDKKind.Text], search: query, limit };
+  const tagFilter: NDKFilter = { kinds: [NDKKind.Text], "#t": [query.toLowerCase()], limit };
+  const [nip50Events, tagEvents] = await Promise.all([
+    searchFetch(searchFilter),
+    fetchWithTimeout(instance, tagFilter, FEED_TIMEOUT),
+  ]);
+
+  // Merge and deduplicate
+  const seen = new Set<string>();
+  const merged: NDKEvent[] = [];
+  for (const e of [...nip50Events, ...tagEvents]) {
+    if (e.id && !seen.has(e.id)) { seen.add(e.id); merged.push(e); }
+  }
+  return merged.sort((a, b) => (b.created_at ?? 0) - (a.created_at ?? 0));
 }
 
 export async function searchUsers(query: string, limit = 20): Promise<NDKEvent[]> {
-  const instance = getNDK();
   const filter: NDKFilter & { search?: string } = {
     kinds: [NDKKind.Metadata],
     search: query,
     limit,
   };
-  const events = await fetchWithTimeout(instance, filter, FEED_TIMEOUT);
+  const events = await searchFetch(filter);
   return Array.from(events);
 }
 
@@ -70,18 +119,12 @@ export async function advancedSearch(parsed: ParsedSearch, limit = 50): Promise<
     };
   }
 
-  // Resolve any NIP-05 or name-based author identifiers
+  // Resolve author identifiers (npub or NIP-05 only — display name resolution not yet supported)
   const resolvedAuthors = [...parsed.authors];
   for (const nip05 of parsed.unresolvedNip05) {
-    const resolved = await resolveNip05(nip05.includes("@") || nip05.includes(".") ? nip05 : `_@${nip05}`);
+    const identifier = nip05.includes("@") || nip05.includes(".") ? nip05 : `_@${nip05}`;
-    if (resolved) {
+    const resolved = await resolveNip05(identifier);
-      resolvedAuthors.push(resolved);
+    if (resolved) resolvedAuthors.push(resolved);
-    } else {
-      const nameResults = await searchUsers(nip05, 1);
-      if (nameResults.length > 0) {
-        resolvedAuthors.push(nameResults[0].pubkey);
-      }
-    }
   }
 
   // Determine which kinds to search
@@ -117,18 +160,69 @@ export async function advancedSearch(parsed: ParsedSearch, limit = 50): Promise<
 
   const noteFilter = noteKinds.length > 0 ? buildFilter(noteKinds) : null;
   const articleFilter = articleKinds.length > 0 ? buildFilter(articleKinds) : null;
-  const shouldSearchUsers = (!hasKindFilter || parsed.kinds.includes(0)) && hasSearch && !hasHashtags;
+  const shouldSearchUsers = (!hasKindFilter || parsed.kinds.includes(0)) && (hasSearch || hasHashtags);
 
-  const [noteEvents, articleEvents, userEvents] = await Promise.all([
+  const usesNip50 = hasSearch && !hasHashtags;
-    noteFilter ? fetchWithTimeout(instance, noteFilter, FEED_TIMEOUT) : Promise.resolve(new Set<NDKEvent>()),
-    articleFilter ? fetchWithTimeout(instance, articleFilter, FEED_TIMEOUT) : Promise.resolve(new Set<NDKEvent>()),
-    shouldSearchUsers ? fetchWithTimeout(instance, { kinds: [NDKKind.Metadata], search: searchText, limit: 20 } as NDKFilter & { search: string }, FEED_TIMEOUT) : Promise.resolve(new Set<NDKEvent>()),
-  ]);
 
-  let notes = Array.from(noteEvents);
+  // Build parallel fetch promises
-  let articles = Array.from(articleEvents);
+  const fetches: Promise<Set<NDKEvent>>[] = [];
+
+  // Notes: NIP-50 on search relays, or hashtag on user relays
+  fetches.push(noteFilter ? (usesNip50 ? searchFetch(noteFilter) : fetchWithTimeout(instance, noteFilter, FEED_TIMEOUT)) : Promise.resolve(new Set<NDKEvent>()));
+  // Articles: same logic
+  fetches.push(articleFilter ? (usesNip50 ? searchFetch(articleFilter) : fetchWithTimeout(instance, articleFilter, FEED_TIMEOUT)) : Promise.resolve(new Set<NDKEvent>()));
+  // Users: NIP-50 on search relays
+  fetches.push(shouldSearchUsers
+    ? searchFetch({ kinds: [NDKKind.Metadata], search: hasSearch ? searchText : parsed.hashtags.join(" "), limit: 20 } as NDKFilter & { search: string })
+    : Promise.resolve(new Set<NDKEvent>()));
+
+  // Hybrid: if text search, also do hashtag lookup on user relays and merge
+  // Carry over author/mention/time constraints so modifiers like by:jack still filter
+  const hybridTerms = hasSearch && !hasHashtags ? searchText.toLowerCase().split(/\s+/).filter(Boolean) : [];
+  const buildHybridFilter = (kinds: number[]): NDKFilter => {
+    const f: NDKFilter = { kinds: kinds.map((k) => k as NDKKind), "#t": hybridTerms, limit };
+    if (resolvedAuthors.length > 0) f.authors = resolvedAuthors;
+    if (parsed.mentions.length > 0) f["#p"] = parsed.mentions;
+    if (parsed.since) f.since = parsed.since;
+    if (parsed.until) f.until = parsed.until;
+    return f;
+  };
+  if (hybridTerms.length > 0 && noteKinds.length > 0) {
+    fetches.push(fetchWithTimeout(instance, buildHybridFilter(noteKinds), FEED_TIMEOUT));
+  } else {
+    fetches.push(Promise.resolve(new Set<NDKEvent>()));
+  }
+  if (hybridTerms.length > 0 && articleKinds.length > 0) {
+    fetches.push(fetchWithTimeout(instance, buildHybridFilter(articleKinds), FEED_TIMEOUT));
+  } else {
+    fetches.push(Promise.resolve(new Set<NDKEvent>()));
+  }
+
+  const [noteEvents, articleEvents, userEvents, hybridNoteEvents, hybridArticleEvents] = await Promise.all(fetches);
+
+  // Merge and deduplicate results from multiple sources
+  const dedup = (...sources: Set<NDKEvent>[]): NDKEvent[] => {
+    const seen = new Set<string>();
+    const result: NDKEvent[] = [];
+    for (const source of sources) {
+      for (const e of source) {
+        if (e.id && !seen.has(e.id)) { seen.add(e.id); result.push(e); }
+      }
+    }
+    return result;
+  };
+
+  let notes = dedup(noteEvents, hybridNoteEvents);
+  let articles = dedup(articleEvents, hybridArticleEvents);
   const users = Array.from(userEvents);
 
+  // Client-side author filter — search relays may not intersect authors with search properly
+  if (resolvedAuthors.length > 0) {
+    const authorSet = new Set(resolvedAuthors);
+    notes = notes.filter((e) => authorSet.has(e.pubkey));
+    articles = articles.filter((e) => authorSet.has(e.pubkey));
+  }
+
   // Client-side filters: has:image, has:video, has:code, etc.
   if (parsed.hasFilters.length > 0) {
     const applyHas = (events: NDKEvent[]) =>